ANSWERS
by Hyori Lee
Summary: Cloud wakes up naked in Zack's bed, hungover and confused. Desperate for answers, the pair of them decide to explore the previous night, unraveling the truth of their drunken actions. Will the answer be what they hoped for? Or did their hopes change?Yaoi
1. Awakening

**ANSWERS**

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><p>Written by Hyori Lee :3<p>

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><p>Romance - Friendship - Angst - Humor - Smut<p>

The pairing of Clack and other Final Fantasy VII Characters thrown into the era of Crisis Core.

I hope you all like it!

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><p>Chapter 1: Awakening<p>

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><p>Cloud clutched the bed-sheets in horror.<p>

His heart was pounding and his head was throbbing. The beads of sweat on his forehead slid down his face, each running into his gasping mouth.

The feel of silk against his skin was an unfamiliar, yet pleasant experience. He was so used to the feel of the company uniform clinging to his body. It was a relief to be able to feel so light and comfortable, with the fabric gliding against his usually concealed chest.

It would have been an enjoyable moment for him, if not for the one big problem.

**He was naked.**

The sunlight beamed through the curtains, cascading a light on his sheltered body. His hands clutched protectively at the sheets, as if they would suddenly be ripped down to expose his bare figure. The confusion in his mind took over the self consciousness. This didn't make any sense.

It wasn't until his eyes darted across the room that he realised one other important thing.

**This wasn't his bed.**

The pace of his heart quickened as it hammered against his sweat drenched chest. This was bad! This was really bad! How could he be in someone's bed and not remember a thing? His mind was completely blank! He needed answers!

His eyes fell upon a clutter in the corner of the room, desperately looking for clues or hints. It gave him somewhat relief to realise that these were his clothes, and if he just got up and walked over, the risk of exposure would be gone.

But he knew it was too good to be true.

His body froze as the fabric tightened. There was something preventing the sheets from falling off of him. The swift movement had sent his body into spasm, causing him to shudder in both pain and pleasure. He was too embarrassed to look down, though.

He decided to glide his hand underneath the material, edging towards the problematic area. His eyes closed tightly, as if it would somehow shield him from the humiliation. The source of discomfort was reached, causing him to whimper. It was worse than he could have imagined.

**He had tented the bed sheets.**

Why? Why now of all times! Why did he have to be getting an erection in someone else's bed!

There was only one way to solve this issue, but how could he possibly do that? What if he were caught! What if this were a set up!

His hand brushed down to the throbbing area. It was physically hurting him. There were times when he woke up to his problem, but to this extent? Never.

The bedroom door had remained shut, much to his relief, which made him question whether he was alone or not. That would certainly be an awkward moment. There would be rumors spread at work, no doubt.

Work...

His eyes rested on the clock besides him.

"Damn!"

He was late! Cloud was extremely late for work! Training must have started at least an hour ago; everyone would be worried about him, especially Zack! He didn't even want to imagine how concerned his friend would be.

He reluctantly poked his left leg poked out of the bed, cringing at the cold temperature.

- But he kept going, throwing his body back up in persistence, ripping the sheets off of his naked figure.

... Before halting in his tracks.

His head began screaming at him; begging him to lie back down. The strength of the headache was unreal, especially seeing as he rarely suffered with them. It was a feeling accompanied by nausea, worrying the blonde that he might throw up… in someone else's house!

What had caused him to become so ill?

Cloud never took days off work, but this was an exception. His legs slipped back into the cover and his eyes closed in forced peace. Now wasn't the time to dwell over where he was and how he got there. He just needed to be rid of this headache…

"What on earth?"

As his leg flew back inside the warm covers, the sound of something fragile clanged beside him.

- He must have kicked something down.

The panic returned as he stretched back upwards, bending himself over the bed to look down at the floor. Fortunately, it wasn't something of great value.

It was just a bottle of beer.

"Ugh..."

His hand flew towards his open mouth, preventing him from vomiting.

The smell of it was bad enough.

It was made worse by the fact it brought back unexpected memories, flashes of images streaming throughout his head. The puzzle was suddenly pieced together. The questions were answered.

He had a hangover.

Almost the entire company had agreed to go out drinking the night before - he could remember that much. There had been some people like Sephiroth and the president's son who had refused, but not many others besides that. Cloud almost hadn't gone, now he wished he hadn't!

It would be obvious why he was absent! He was going to be _murdered!_

At least it cleared up a few things, though. That's why he was in someone else's bed! They had clearly carried him up to their room once he'd drank too much. Cloud didn't really like alcohol, which made him a lightweight when he did agree to drink. No wonder he had forgotten!

That didn't explain the nakedness, though.

Maybe his clothes had been drenched in his sick? Or, more likely, someone else's sick…

It made him uneasy that all he could remember was walking into the place, politely accepting a drink from his friends. Everything else was a total blur, blacked out of his memory. Had he really got into such a state? That left everything else to guess work. He didn't even want to imagine the sorts of embarrassing things he might have done in front of his colleagues!

Especially in front of Zack!

The realisation hit him that he _had _to get up and he _had _to find some sort of answer. Regardless of his headache, he still needed to at least warn someone in the company that he would be off. Otherwise Zack would worry, and Cloud didn't want that. Never that…

His eyes fell back onto his clothes. They were laid neatly together, almost as if the person had been entirely sober when placing them down. That or they had done it earlier this morning without waking him. If that was the case, why had they not waken him up?

Whose house was this?

He reluctantly pushed his legs back out and hauled himself out of the covers. Immediately he yearned to crawl back in, but fought off the temptation. The sickness returned and was ignored with his remaining strength. His only target was the pile of clothes in the corner.

"Weird..."

His hand drew down towards his t-shirt and his face crumpled up in confusion. It was quickly twisted round for further inspection, but left him with the same feeling of panic and dissatisfaction. There was not a single ounce of sick on the shirt. It was completely clean.

Well, that ruined _that _explanation.

He dropped the clothing as quickly as the questioning and dived for his boxers. It would definitely be bad if someone were to walk in and catch his 'little problem.'

Well, it was certainly more than 'little.'

Two hands gripped at the fabric and hauled them up towards his aching crotch. For a moment he feared the material would split, and breathed a sigh of relief once it settled down. There was a giant lump sticking out of his boxers, but that was certainly better than nakedness.

The feeling of the elastic suffocating his erection was excruciating. He ached to rip them back down immediately…

"Cloud?"

His heart stopped beating.

"!"

Somebody else had entered the room!

His hands frantically flew down to his crotch area, desperately trying to conceal it. It was impossible to hide! He could feel his cheeks burning against his skin!

Cloud forced himself to look up.

"No..."

It was the last person he had been expecting, no _wanting, _to walk in on him like this!

Zack Fair was stood before him.

His eyes scanned the frozen man, feeling somewhat intruding as he analyzed the figure. There were no clothes on him but the Shinra boxers and the muscles on his stomach rippled and tensed. It was a sight he found himself unable to look away from, but ashamed to stand and gawp at.

Why was he here?

"Cloud…" Zack gasped, unable to divert himself from the cupping hands. "This isn't… You're not..."

"Where am I?" Cloud choked, quickly changing the subject. "Is this your room?"

The man was silent.

"I'm so sorry!" Cloud cried, quickly bending down for his trousers. "I don't know how I got here! I don't remember anything!"

His eyes involuntarily rested back onto that stomach.

That_ gorgeous_ stomach...

It made zero sense. Why was Zack only wearing boxers! Why had Cloud been naked! Was it some sort of practical joke?

Why was he…?

"Um, Zack…" Cloud whispered, pointing down at the man's bulge. "T-those are mine… They are…"

His eyes stared back down at his own problem. "You're wearing my boxers."

"I know."

The reply was casual, but with a hint of fear. Zack's tone of voice was all too strange. Why was he not wearing his own boxers?

How had Cloud not noticed that the ones on the pile didn't belong to him!

Zack scratched his head awkwardly. "Mine weren't there when I woke up, so I got out of bed and put on whatever I could find. Sorry about that."

"But you only have one bed in your house…" Cloud pointed out. "All Soldier's do..."

Zack's eyes fell down onto the floor. "Yeah, I know."

... Wait.

Cloud swung his body back towards the bed, the pounding in his head returning with vengeance. It wasn't so much the alcohol anymore, though. He had completely forgotten his previous nausea. It was the sight before him that made him dizzy.

... Both pillows had been used.

He turned quickly towards the two nightstands, his eyes resting on the objects on top of them.

... They both had empty bottles.

"Please..."

His crotch cried out angrily; forgotten and still unsolved. Cloud's two eyes glanced back at the problem, his head screaming at him to listen. He tried not to think it through, but in the end it was inevitable. The bulge in his jeans made it impossible to ignore.

He had one more question to ask.

"Zack…" he whispered, unable to look at him in the eye. "Please… be honest. Did we… Did I… Last night, did we h-have…"

Cloud couldn't finish the sentence.

How could he say such a thing out loud to his friend!

... Friend?

Zack looked at him with unfamiliar seriousness, his face washed with both dishonour and doubt. Cloud tried to fool himself that the expression was a positive one, but knew deep down the answer would not be good. They both knew that the answer would hurt.

Those mako-infused eyes stared into him, their usual glow missing. "I don't know…" Zack choked, his eyes gripping his spiked hair tightly.

"I can't remember."

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><p><strong>Please review if you like it? Otherwise I wont continue... I need drive readers, DRIVE! :3 xxx<strong>


	2. Recognition

**ANSWERS**

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><p>Written by Hyori Lee<p>

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><p>Romance - friendship - angst - humor - smut.<p>

Following the revelation...

Shattered friendship?

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><p>Chapter 2: Recognition<p>

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><p>The silence in the room was unbearable.<p>

Cloud was still in shock from the news, unable to process what he'd just been told. Zack on the other hand, was now used to the thought, but struggling to even picture it happening. They both had question flying amongst their heads, but neither dared to voice their troubles. They feared what the answer would be.

They feared what the answer would _not _be.

Zack could not remember ever feeling so guilty before. The evidence and the conclusions all pointed in the same direction, meaning that both men had been equally responsible for their actions… but that didn't even remotely help the guilt he was feeling. Cloud was a young cadet, both innocent and pure. His expression alone screamed virginity. The kind of body you would only yearn to touch, but never dare to caress.

Had he really shattered that innocence?

He was a first class Soldier, supposedly older and wiser! This wouldn't be the first time he had drunkenly had sex, but with a minor? With a male? With a friend!

Zack couldn't even begin to imagine laying his hands upon such a beautiful body. All he _could_ picture was Cloud lay below him, writhing and whimpering, begging him to stop. He knew how aggressive he could be when sexually frustrated. Might he have treated Cloud in such an unholy way?

How much had they had to drink!

The blonde looked so helpless before him, staring down at the floor with empty eyes. Zack could only imagine the amount of tears he was holding back. Did he view him as a monster? Would he ever again look him in the eye without that fearful expression? He had assumed Cloud would piece the puzzle together immediately after waking up, as he had done. Apparently not though, judging by the look of horror he had recieved. Maybe his innocence had shielded him from common sense?

That innocence wasn't showing at that moment, though...

Zack had previously caught Cloud glancing at his chest, but thought nothing of it. It was becoming hard to ignore now, though. Perhaps standing in his underwear made him seem even _more_ of a sexual pervert? It could be the fact that he was wearing Cloud's immensely smaller boxers, too. That had certainly brought a few things to attention. That had certainly made a few things 'stand out.'

… It seemed he wasn't the only one either.

Cloud had done his best to hide his shame, but was only able to conceal such an amount with cupped hands. The Soldier knew exactly what was hiding in that crotch area. That somewhat tore the vision of Cloud being this angelic and naive individual. It made him feel slightly less cruel about what he had done. Zack had never even pictured that the guy could get _hard, _let alone in the presence of others. Let alone after _this _situation. Why hadn't he been able to think about it before?

Why was he thinking about it so much now?

The silence between them had to be broken, and of course, it had absolutely no relevance to the problem at hand. Surprisingly, Zack was not the one to speak, stunned by the sudden voice echoing throughout the room. A voice so sweet…

"I'm have to go for a shower."

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><p>Cloud gawped at himself in the mirror, his eyes fixated on his ill expression. He tried to look for a hint of change, something which had altered in himself, but found nothing. The expectation he had once dreamed of was shattered. There was nothing neither better nor different in result of his actions, only guilt and shame.<p>

What had he done?

Zack had never been so silent with him before. Come to think of it, Cloud had never actually had a moment with the Soldier where one of them hadn't been talking. Conversation usually came easy. There wasn't a conversation to follow _that_ bombshell, though.

He looked down at his naked body, analysing himself. What signs were there? How would he know whether they had... done… Cloud couldn't even mentally say it! The thought was just too embarrassing, too impossible! His best friend seeing him like that; touching him in places he himself daren't touch. Being the first person to ever, ever…

… _Ever sleep with him._

They just didn't have that kind of relationship! Sure, Zack could be touchy feely when he wanted to, but that was purely innocent teasing! Friends do such things to show affection! Friends don't get naked and explore each other's bodies…

… Friend's don't get naked and **enter **each other's bodies.

Cloud shook his head. It would be easier to believe that it never happened, but all the evidence pointed in the same direction. Even if it was all coincidence, there was no way that either of them could prove it. Neither remembered the previous night, and they certainly couldn't get other people involved.

It was definitely a good thiing that he couldn't recall what had happened. He couldn't even bring himself to consider _how_ he would feel if the memory of the previous night returned. For now, it was a mystery, something which could be naively denied and forgotten. It was exciting, it was disturbing, it was disgusting.

He sighed to himself. This wasn't something they could just move on from. Cloud couldn't even bare to look him in the eye! Let alone speak to him… How could they ever have a normal conversation again! All he'd be able to think about was that irritatingly perfect stomach.

There was absolutely no way to portray his feelings!

Cloud reached over to the shower door, sliding it sideways as he stepped across the bathroom. This would give him the opportunity to forget his problems, if not only temporarily. The cold water would decrease the problem in between his legs and regain even a little of his pride.

"What pride?"

He put one foot in the shower, purring at the temperature of the water. He dreaded turning the heat down. It was just too tempting to stand underneath that nozzle and close his eyes.

The door shut behind him and for the first time that morning, he felt relief.

His hand reluctantly drew up towards the nozzle, ready to turn it down to freezing. The remaining ounce of willpower was failing him, begging to keep the heat up. He couldn't decide what to do, staring down at his erection, urging it to calm down. It took him two minutes of gawping to realise that this was not going to work out for him.

There were only two options…

... He chose the first one.

Dropping his hand back down, Cloud left the heat on full and threw his head back, enjoying the feel of comfort. The pain in his crotch still throbbed uncaringly, but had somewhat decreased in the past few minutes. It did still hurt though, and Cloud didn't want to risk exposing it to Zack again.

"Might get the wrong idea…"

As two hands wrapped guiltily around his length, Cloud couldn't help but think back to the man he had left in the bedroom. The water was soothing, but it didn't mean he could be unrealistic. There would still be the price to pay once he excited the shower. His hand squeezed around the tip of his length, causing him to groan at the sudden sensation. The noise was more sad than pleasurable, though. It sounded more agonizing than relieving. The guilt grew stronger as he touched himself.

... The tears finally left him.

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><p>"What on earth has happened here…"<p>

Zack held up the blonde's baby blue blouse, analyzing it in confusion. It was by far the most interesting clue he had found so far. Besides the empty bottles, the nakedness and the lack of memory, _this _was the biggest pointer. The situation was becoming more and more difficult to deny.

**The shirt had been torn.**

The clothes had originally been flung across the room earlier that morning. They had been re-adjusted though, to save Cloud any sudden panic or confusion. Zack had nervously stacked them neatly together in order to regain some sort of order and control. After waking up, he had noticed shirts, jeans and boxers on all corners of the room. There had been no delicate clothing removal.

Whatever they had done, whatever they hadn't done, it had not been performed patiently.

"You've gotta be kidding me…"

Zack felt his tongue turn dry at the next sight before him. It was becoming more and more of a fact and less and less of an idea. The shirt before him made his stomach turn, in both equal horror and enthrallment.

**His own shirt had been torn.**

It had made sense for him to tear off Cloud's shirt, but the other way round? Zack could not even imagine the blonde being aggressive in training, let alone the bedroom! He tried to picture it, but only found himself shaking away increasingly inappropriate thoughts.

He laid the shirt back down on the floor and sat himself at the edge of the bed. The realization that Cloud would be walking back in soon hit him. That is, unless had decided to sneakily leave and avoid the awkward follow-up encounter. Zack hoped that wasn't the case. He needed to see that face one last time. He needed to stare into those blinding eyes and look for any hint of hidden feeling. Maybe seeing Cloud again would remind him of the fact that he was innocent, far too innocent to do such a thing with him.

Why else would the clothes be torn, though? This wasn't a sign of them being experimental or caring. It wasn't a show of delicate affection.

**This had purely been animalistic.**

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><p>Cloud stared down at the object before him, his eyes widening in disbelief.<p>

"Why are they…" he uttered, his face reddening in embarrassment. "H-How are they t-torn?"

Zack looked at him apologetically. Now that the blonde was stood before him, he was finding it hard to mutter the sentences he had so desperately needed to say. Every filthy image of the blonde had vanished after recognizing the puffy eyes and tear drenched face. He felt horrified with himself for even considering such things.

There was only one other option. "I accidentally ripped it earlier when picking them up," he lied.

Cloud's face washed over with relief. "Oh I see…" he whispered, the stain of red upon his cheeks vanishing. "I almost thought…"

The blonde stared at Zack awkwardly, unsure whether to excuse himself or not. They both knew it would be best to discuss the previous night, but neither had the guts to bring it up. Neither knew how the other was feeling… and that was an absolutely terrifying thought.

There was another terrifying thought, too.

Zack quickly glanced down at Cloud's crotch, which was finally revealed and no longer shielded. He didn't like to let his mind wander, but had the size in there suddenly decreased? Or had he just been seeing things? Could Cloud have possibly…?

**The heat in his stomach returned.**

"Look," he found himself saying, uttering words without warning. "We can't just y'know, stand here and say nothing…"

Cloud gawped back at him helplessly.

How could he say it! How could he utter such filthy words to such a innocent face! Why had he even began such a sentence!

"We should probably talk," he started, before catching the look on Cloud's face.

Utter. And. Sheer. Panic.

Improvisation was his best friend. "No, talking isn't the right thing! There's something else we need to do…"

Cloud's face grew even paler.

Was it just him or, had that invitation sounded somewhat…_ suggestive?_

"I couldn't bear to not know," Zack continued, burying his head in his hands. "I need to know what I did to you, how I can make up for it, whether I forced you to..."

Was he really saying his out-loud?

"Cloud…" he whispered, finally forcing eye contact between them. "I need to know, but I can't do it alone."

That saddened smile returned to his face.

"We need to find out if and why it happened."

"...** Together**."

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><p><strong>Thank you for the reviews! Keep em coming! :3<strong>


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